The present invention relates to the device used in the ancient chinese medical therapy similar to acupuncture in theory, and particularly to a massage mat of self-service type for use in stimulating the circulatory system of a human body.
The present invention is based on the theory that the metabolic activities of a human body are under the control of the "energy", which circulates along the circulatory system throughout a human body. Several researches with respect to the relative effectiveness of the therapeutical treatment based on the theory mentioned above have been reported in the United States, Germany, and Japan.
An obstructive force, either exogenous or endogenous, responsible for the development of a physiological abnormality of a human body may induce the circulatory system to respond immediately by means of a blockade of the "energy" at a specific point of the circulatory system. The art of the ancient Chinese medical therapy involves the identification as well as the removal of the blockaded energy that is obstructing the normal metabolic activities of a human body.
One of the methods used in removing the blockaded energy that has taken place at a specific point of the circulatory system is the so-called finger-tip massage as shown in FIG. 1, in which a thumb is used to apply a gentle pressure on the spot where the blockaded energy has occurred. The motion sequences involved in the finger-tip massage are shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C. As shown in FIG. 1A, a gentle pressure is placed on the spot with a thumb, which is then used to apply a greater pressure on the spot, as shown in FIG. 1B. FIG. 1C shows that the thumb is subsequently withdrawn from the sport. A skillful and repetitive finger-tip massage elaborated in FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C is believed to be capable of removing the blockaded energy form the circulatory system of a human body.
There is a variety of the sole massage devices designed for use in stimulating the circulatory system of a human body. Unfortunately, these devices are often so poorly designed as to cause uncomfortable sensation or even injury to sole when a subject steps on the devices. This shortcoming prevents these devices from being well accepted by the consumers at large.
Therefore, the primary objective of the present invention is to provide a massage mat of the type designed to be used conveniently, comfortably, and effectively at any time and any place for the purpose of stimulating the circulatory system of a human body.